35 of the BEST Jackfruit Recipes on the Internet (2024)

FAQs

What is the best way to cook jackfruit? ›

I prefer cooking it in two steps: simmer it gently with the spices until it's tender and easy to mash or shred, then bake it with sauce to lock in the flavors and add a slight chew to it. Some recipes will recommend that you cut out the center pieces of the jackfruit and/or remove the seeds because of their toughness.

This is particularly more important if you plan to eat your jackfruit raw, as the texture of the core isn't as noticeable once the fruits have been cooked. Again, the canned jackfruit is perfectly safe to eat straight out of the can, but it tends to taste best warm and with seasoning.

Simply tease the raw jackfruit apart with your hands or two forks, mix with your favorite spice blend (barbecue or fajita seasonings work well), and sauté before serving in buns with slaw or in fajitas, burritos, or tamales (these are filled with jackfruit and drizzled with a bright and fresh cilantro sauce).

After you slice it or quarter it like I did, you will find there are three major edible parts to the jackfruit: The arils (the sweet, raw fruit you can eat as is). The finger-like projections attached to the skin that transform into vegan “pulled pork” when cooked. The large seeds within each aril.

Jackfruit can also be harmful if you eat it with milk or carbonated drinks. It may cause digestion and skin issues. You should avoid drinking water after the consumption of jackfruit as it can lead to diarrhoea. Jackfruit is a high water content fruit that smoothes out bowel movements.

Ripe jackfruit is commonly eaten raw like other fruits, or it can be used in sweet applications like desserts. Unripe or young green jackfruit can be consumed raw as well, but because of its neutral flavor, it is much more suited for absorbing flavor in savory cooking applications.

In these kinds of recipes, jackfruit is strikingly similar to pulled pork or pulled chicken. Since canned jackfruit is usually canned with a brine solution, give it a thorough rinse before using.

If you use the more convenient canned jackfruit, take care to rinse as much of the brine away as possible. I like to soak it in cold water for a few hours to extract as much as I can. You also probably won't need to add salt to your recipe, so taste before adding any soy sauce or salty condiments.

Take canned unripe jackfruit in water or brine. Drain the liquid. If you've opted for the version in brine, give the chunks a good rinse under the tap as it can have an unpleasant taste. Then, pull the chunks apart with your fingers, to give the jackfruit a shredded texture like pulled pork, chicken or beef.

Shredded jackfruit is also frequently used to replace other meats, like chicken. Similar to tofu in that it lacks a strong flavor profile of its own, many people love the jackfruit's adaptability to be used in curries, stews, and sauces. It's especially popular in tacos and burritos, too.

Does jackfruit taste like pepperoni? ›

The jackfruit texture is not dissimilar to a banana, mango, or pineapple in terms of being dense and fibrous. But the taste is quite distinctive. Some say it's sweet, and some say a jackfruit has a flavor similar to pulled pork, especially when cooked.

The processing activities like washing, sorting, peeling and cutting enhances oxidative stress in fresh cut jackfruit. It is also having the ill effects on quality of fresh cut tender jackfruit by increase in microbial contaminations, excessive tissue softening, and depletion of phytochemicals and browning.

Allergy to birch pollen or latex: People who are allergic to birch pollen or latex might also be allergic to jackfruit. Surgery: Jackfruit might cause bleeding and too much drowsiness if combined with medications used during and after surgery. Stop taking jackfruit at least 2 weeks before scheduled surgery.

Some people have noticed stomach aches after eating jackfruit. Eating too much can cause diarrhea. Meanwhile, jackfruit seeds contain a chemical that interferes with digestion. Always cook jackfruit seeds before you eat them.

STORE. Store jackfruit in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. Frozen jackfruit can be stored for more than 2 months.

However, before cooking with it in a recipe, you may like to boil the fresh unripe jackfruit for around 45 minutes to ensure it becomes tender in the final dish. If the recipe has a long cook time, like this jackfruit rendang, you can skip this step.

You want to remove as much water as possible so the jackfruit can soak up the yummy cooking sauce and not become soggy. You can see in the photo below how dry the mixture becomes after you've squeezed as much water out as possible.

Before you take a bite, it's helpful to know what to expect. The jackfruit texture is not dissimilar to a banana, mango, or pineapple in terms of being dense and fibrous. But the taste is quite distinctive. Some say it's sweet, and some say a jackfruit has a flavor similar to pulled pork, especially when cooked.